A dramatic Showdown looms starting on Monday, December 3, after the county government of Nairobi banned all matatu operators from entering the Central Business District in a move aimed at decongesting the capital.
This comes after City Hall published a notice designating 11 pick and drop off termini for matatus.
“The operators are required to take note that the above changes take effect as from December 3, 2018 and all previous gazette notices/letter allocating any other place as picking and dropping areas within CBD are hereby revoked and become null and void as from December 3, 2018,” read the notice signed by acting County Secretary Pauline Kahiga.
The new termini breakdown shows that all routes accessing the CBD through Thika Road, Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Kipande Road, Limuru Road, Ruiru and Kiambu Road will pick and drop passengers at Fig Tree in Ngara.
All vehicles that go past Ruiru but branch off before or at Kenol Town on Nyeri/Meru-Nairobi Road will stop at Desai Service Road Terminus.
Matatus using Juja Road, Ring Road Ngara and Park Road will operate from Ngara Road Terminus
Matatu’s plying Mombasa and Langata Road will operate from Hakati terminus
The high capacity buses from upcountry will stop at Machakos Terminus.
PSVs from Jogoo Road will stop at Muthurwa while those from Ngong Road will park at Railways Terminus
Speaking to some matatu operators within the city, they said that move is very untimely and uninformed. They threaten to down their vehicles until the directive is revoked.
"We are not agreeing to such a move because our passengers will have to suffer, in fact, we will be striking starting that Monday,' said a matatu driver who asked for anonymity.
If the move goes on, many people will have to walk for very long distances to access a matatu.